Carbon paper cross-feed for autographic registers



March 18, 1 958 A. BECKER 2,327,310

CARBON PAPER CROSS-FEED FOR YAUTOGRAPHIC REGISTERS Filed Sept. 8. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l [BE INVENTOR. v

A TTOENEYS 72,827,310 CARBON PAPER CROSS-FEED FOR AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTERS Filed Sept. 8. 1955 A. BECKER March 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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'ilnited States Patent CARBJN PAPER CRGSS-FEED FOR AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTERS Aloysius Becker, Hamilton, Gino, assignor to Paul Benninghofen and F. B. Dieshaclr, Hamilton, ()hio, trustees Application September 8, 1955, Serial No. 533,219

Qlaims. (Cl. 282-20) The carbon paper cross-feed apparatus of this invention constitutes an improvement over the one which is disclosed in Holman Patent No. 2,576,879, issued November 27, 1951. The invention is concerned primarily with the provision of an improved carbon cross-feed device which is adapted to be installed in an autographic register casing of the type disclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 447,126, filed August 2, 1954 in which a hinged carbon paper tear-off knife is provided at the side of the register casing. Thus, the invention resides primarily in the construction of the cross-feed apparatus and its incorporation in an antographic register in combination with a hinged paper tear-off knife.

The autographic register casing of the copending patent application includes a one-piece lid which may be locked in closed position by a single key-operated lock, which arrangement prevents tampering with the unused manifolding forms and with the record forms, the record forms being those which are automatically discharged from the platen into the storage compartment of the register upon each operation of the crank which feeds the forms across the platen. The hinged tear-off knife which is provided is disposed within an elongated opening or slot in the side of the one-piece lid, and at a point where the Holman patent suggests the provision of a riction feed roller arranged to engage against a flange which depends from the top of the register casing. There is no such flange in the register of the copending application and, therefore, the Holman cross-feed apparatus cannot be used in the combination disclosed here. However, even if it were possible to adapt it to the autographic register construction of the copending application, the Holman apparatus has a very serious shortcoming which makes its use objectionable. In the Holman machine the carbon paper is drawn across the platen by the frictional rolling engagement of the feed roller on the carbon paper, the paper being backed by the downturned flange at the side of the register. The roller itself is thus in direct contact with the waxy or greasy and somewhat slippery surface which is on the transfer side of the carbon paper so that more often than not the roller merely slips on the paper instead of advancing it to present a fresh surface on the platen.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carbon paper is subjected to a positive, non-slipping pull, and the drive to the means which feeds the carbon paper is through a positive, direct-acting gear train which constantly is in mesh with the main drive shaft of the autographic register so that positive feed is assured with each turn of the crank.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an autographic register with a carbon paper cross-feed apparatus installed.

Figure 2 is a top plan View looking down on top of the autographic register which is shown in Figure 1 in which the platen area of the cover is broken away to illustrate details of construction.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the carbon paper cross-feed apparatus of this invention, the view being taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The details of the construction of the autographic register, which is designated generally by the numeral 16 in the drawings, may be obtained from the disclosures of copending patent applications Serial No. 404,561, filed January 18, 1954; Serial No. 404,707, filed January 18, 1954; Serial No. 404,547, filed January 18, 1954; and Serial No. 447,126, filed August 2, 1954, and which became Patent No. 2,778,659 on January 22, 1957. Details of the feeding and aligning apparatus are also disclosed in those copending applications. Inasmuch as this application is related only to the cross-feed of carbon paper, the present disclosure is limited to those parts of the register which are directly associated with the improvement. Generally, however, the register comprises a rectangular box-like lower part 11 which is closed at the top by a one-piece lid 12. The lid preferably is of cast construction and hinged to the lower part 11 along the side opposite to the crank which is shown at 13. The significant part of the casing is the elongated slot shown at 14 which is formed in the downturned flange at the crank side of the machine and which is disposed between the crank and the right end of the machine as viewed in Figure 1. This slot is provided to accommodate a carbon paper tear-off knife 15 which is hinged as at 16 so that it may be swung out from the side of the register during the loading of the carbon paper. As disclosed in the copending patent applications, unused manifold forms are stored in the bottom of the register at the right end, these forms being advanced from this position around from separators designated generally by 17, across the writing platen 18 and toward the left end of the machine. In this movement the lowermost form of each set is guided into a record storage compartment which is at the left end of the machine in the lower part thereof. One turn of the crank 13 advances a fresh set of forms onto the platen 13 while at the same time discharging the used set.

The carbon paper with which the present disclosure is concerned is provided in a roll. This roll is placed in a compartment 19 at one side of the platen 13. The loose end of paper from the roll extends transversely across the platen toward the side thereof at which the carbon paper tear-01f knife 15 is located. The edges of the carbon paper which are toward oncoming forms are protected against tearing and interference with the forms by leaves 21 which are mounted on the form separator bars of the separator assembly 17. The carbon paper is arranged in the roll as strips which are superimposed one upon the other, the number of individual strips used depending upon the number of forms in the manifold sets. Thus, to load the register the individual strips of carbon paper are interleaved with the forms in the set of manifolding paper so that the free end of the carbon paper extends down along the depending flange 21 of platen 18 which is at the crank side of the machine. During loading, the hinged tear-off knife 15 is swung out away from the side of the register. The waxy underside or transfer film of the carbon paper when it is thus disposed makes contact with a carbon feed roller 22 which is mounted beneath the platen. This roller is in driving connection with a drive shaft 23 of the register through a train of reducing gears so that it makes a small fraction of a rotation for each turn of the crank.

V worm gear drive.

. 3 a A second, idler feed roller 2'4 is rotatably mounted on the carbon paper'tear-ofi knife 1'5 and, when the knife is swung back into locked position, which is shown in detail in Figure 3, the free end of the carbonpaper is securely grippedbetween thetwo feed rollers as shown in Figure 5. Both roller 22 and roller 24 have a series of gear-like teeth cut in'theni which loosely mesh with one another to insure positive gripping and thus positive feeding of the carbon paper. 7

More specifically, the carbon paper compartment consists of a depending flange 25 which is formed as a continuation of the platen 18, an out-turned flange 26 which may be a continuation of flange 25 and a hinged closure 27,1 the closure being rounded and configurated to err clo'se'the two sides opposite flanges ZS and 25. The

closure is hinged as-at 28 along the outer edge of the flange 26 add-a-spring 2'9 is provided to urge the closure 27 toward the closed position illustrated in Figured. The edge of the platen, where it is turned down to form flange '25 is rounded as at 3% and the edge of the closure 27 a; the upper end thereof is also rounded on a radius in the opposite direction as at 31. These two rounded, mating surfaces grip the carbon paper lightly under the action of spring 29rso as to tension the free end of the roll as it is being fed across the platen.

The gear train for the feed roller 22 is located at the side of the "register opposite to the carbon paper compartment and its construction is as follows. The drive shaft 23 of the register is driven from the crank through a series of gears not shown. The shaft is journalled in paired vertical walls at its opposite ends which walls are disposed inwardlyfromthe sides of the register casing. One of these walls is shown at 32. Between wall 32 and the adjacent side of the register a worm gear '33 is pinned to an'extension of shaft 23. .Directly above and in mesh with gear 33'there is located the mat ng gear 34 for the worm. The latter'gear is pinned to a shaft 35' which extends'longitudinally of the machine. Shaft 35 'is journalled in a bracket 36 which may be secured to wall 32by means suchas spot welding; Additional support for bracket 36, at the end toward the right as seen in Figure is spot welded to the side wall'of the register and which is joined. to bracket 36 by. a second angle brace'38, the

latter brace being welded to bracket-36 and'being secured to angle brace 37 by means such as a metal screw 39.

Feed rollerZ-Z is pinned to'stubshaft 40. This shaft 7 is rotatably 'joui'nalied at one endfin a right angular support bracket '41 which is secured to the inner wall of bracket 36. At the opposite end stub shaft'dil'is' journalled in'an aperture-provided in an end flange 4240f bracket 35 which is turned at a'right angle to berparah lel with supporting bracket 41. Stub shaft iii is' held in place in its journals by a collar 43 at the one'e'n'd and small pinion gear 44 at the opposite end, these elements being pinned to stub shaft 40. and residing atfthe t'woouter sides of the respective journals. Pinion '44 'rneshesjdircctly with a similar gear'which is located directlybe? ncath it. The latter gear is indicated by the numeral 45 and it may be seen bestin'Figure' l. This gear is pinned to drive shaft Sofat the end'of the shaft opposite to the worm gear connection to main drive shaft 23. The'flen'd of t'he shaft 35 adjacent to gear'dS is journalledin an aperture provided in the support bracket 41. It willb-e seen, therefore, thatfor everyr'evolutionof the 'main drive shaft 23, the feed roller 22 is rot'ated'theslight amount as the result of the reductionafiorded by'the carbon paper onto the'platen in a-positivemanneiz w The -small feed rol er 24, as has been 'indicated,' is mountcd'upon the carbon paper tear-off 'knife. More 3,.is provided by an angle brace 37 which This amountj'of feed inches fresh.

the blade is grooved as shown at 47 in Figure 3 to ac- V commddate a shaft 48 upon which the feed roller 24is freely journalled. The shaft may be held in place by welding such as that shown at 4949 which secures its opposite ends to the inner face of the knife. The hinge for the knife includes the usua two leaves, one of which is fastened to the side wall of the'lower part of the register as at 5% and the other leaf of which is secured to the inner face of the knife blade as at 51. Spot weld ing may be employed in each instance. The opposite endof the knife isturned inwardly and then'over at a right angle as at 52 and this end is adapted to engage'a sliding latch bar 53 which holds the knife in closedposition. 'The latch 53 is spring urged toward the position of engagement with the end '52 of the knife and may be of any conventional construction including a' various thicknesses or sheets of carbon paperso that it is not necessary to make adjustments for different types of operations in which different amounts of carbon paper are used. The springiness of the knife also serves. to automatically swing it out into open position when. the

latch 53' is released. However, the knife is swung out.

for loading purposes only. It is closed during the operation of the machine to serve as a cutting edgeLfOr tearing off accumulated carbon paper at any time the operator desires.

Having described my invention, 1. claim:

1. In 'anautographic register having a writing platen,

manifoldform'feed means, including a drive shaft, .for

advancing said forms across said platen, and a lid which is slotted to provide an elongated opening at one side of said' writing platen, the improvement comprising .a carbon paper roll'mounting case disposed at the side'of the platen opposite to the opening in the side of the lid, a gear-like carbon paper feed roller disposed -below the platen and'at the side thereof opposite to the carbon paper-roll case so asto be accessible through the opening'in the side of the lid, a gear train, includinga worm gear, connectingrthe feed roller to the drive shaft of the manifold form feed means such that the feed roller makes only a fraction of a revolution for each" revolution ofthe drive shaft, a carbon paper tearoflknife hinged at one end thereof to the register and extending along the side of the writing platencoextensivewith the slotted opening in the side of the lid whereby 'the knife' mayibe' swung. from an open positioninwhich it extends, outwardly through" the slot to a closed-pod tionin whichit' is' 'adjacent-tofihe side .of the writing. -p'latenfpa'rallel'with the. slot, and a second gear-like:

carbonfpaper feed roller rotatably mounted upcnthe carbon paper tear-01f knife in positionto mesh with the first m'entione'dfee'd roller when the carbonpaper tearoff knife' 'is' in closed vposition, whereby carbon paper extending across the lplaten from said case and threadingibetween' the two, gear-likecarbon paper feed rollers is inched" toward said rollers each time the drive shaft 'isrotated. V 7 a V 2. Theimprovement of claim 1 in which the knifeis flexible and under tension when in the closed position, said tensiondending to urge the second feed roller toward thefirst feed roller whereby the carbon paper is gripped tightly by. such tension therebetween, and whereby upon the release ofsaid knife from the closed positi'onjit automatically springs outwardly toward the open position.

'3. In an autographic register having a casing, a V

platen, a drive shathanelongated.slot in the casing'of the registenwhichis atone side ofthe writingplatcm/thBf;

improvement comprising a gear-like carbon paper feed roller disposed below the platen and at the side thereof to be accessible through said elongated slot, a gear train, including a worm gear, connecting the feed roller to said drive shaft such that the feed roller makes only a fraction of a revolution for each complete revolution of the drive shaft, a carbon paper tear-off knife hinged at one end thereof to the register and extending along the side of the writing platen coextensive with said slot, whereby the knife may be swung from an open position which it extends outwardly through the slot to a closed position in which it is adjacent to the side of the writing platen, and a second gear-like carbon paper feed roller rotatably mounted at the inner side of the carbon paper tear-off knife in position to mesh with the first mentioned feed roller when the carbon paper tear-ofi knife is in closed position.

4. In an autographic register having a drive shaft, a writing platen, and means, including a rotatable drive shaft, to advance manifolding forms longitudinally the writing platen, the improvement comprising a carbon paper carrying case disposed along one side of the writing platen, a carbon paper tear-off knife hinged adjacent to the opposite side of the platen, said knife adapted to swing from an open position in which the knife extends outwardly at an angle to the platen to a closed position in which said knife is along side of said platen, means to latch the knife in the latter position, a pair of gearlike carbon paper feed rollers, the first one of said feed rollers being disposed to the inside of said carbon paper tear-off knife when said knife is in closed position, a gear train, including a worm gear, interconnecting the first one of said feed rollers with the drive shaft of the register such that the first feed roller makes only a fraction of a revolution for each revolution of the drive shaft, the second one of said feed rollers being rotatably mounted upon the carbon paper tear-off knife and in position to mesh with the first feed roller when the carbon paper tear-off knife is in closed position, whereby carbon paper extending across the platen and threaded between the feed rolls is inched across the platen upon each revolution of the drive shaft, and said carbon paper tear-01f knife being flexible and being bowed outwardly when in latched position such that it is under tension to automatically swing open upon the release of the latch means.

5 In an autographic register having a casing, a writing platen inside of said casing, a drive shaft, and an elongated slot in the casing which is disposed at one side of the writing platen, the improvement comprising an unlike carbon paper feed roller and an outer get-mince carbon paper feed roller, the inner feed roller being disposed inside of the casing below the writing platen and at the side thereof to be accessible through said elongated slot, means, including a worm gear, connecting the inner feed roller to said drive shaft such that the inner feed roller makes only a fraction of a revolution for each complete revolution of the drive shaft, a carbon paper tear-off knife hinged at one end thereof to the register and extending along the side of the writing platen coextensive with said slot such that the knife may be swung between an open position in which it extends outwardly thruogh the slot and a closed position in which it is adjacent to the side of the writing platen, and the outer feed roller being rotatably mounted at the inner side of the carbon paper tear-off knife whereby it is in position to mesh with the inner feed roller when the carbon paper tear-off knife is in closed position and whereby the outer feed roller may be swung clear of the inner feed roller by opening said carbon paper tear-01f knife to facilitate the initial loading of carbon paper into position to be fed by said feed rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,354 Jackson Apr. 22, 1930 1,925,258 Kinzer Sept. 5, 1933 1,999,535 Brenn Apr. 30, 1935 2,089,982 Pringle Aug. 17, 1937 2,576,879 Holman Nov. 27, 1951 

